25 November 2019, 17:01 UTC<\/p>\n
The international community must denounce the intentional lethal use of force by Iranian security forces that has resulted in the killings of at least 143 protesters since demonstrations broke out on 15 November, Amnesty International said today.<\/p>\n
According to credible reports received by the organization, at least 143 people were killed. The deaths have resulted almost entirely from the use of firearms. One man was reported to have died after inhaling tear gas, another after being beaten. Amnesty International believes that the death toll is significantly higher and is continuing to investigate.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rising death toll is an alarming indication of just how ruthless the treatment of unarmed protesters has been by the Iranian authorities and reveals their appalling assault on human life,\u201d said Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.<\/p>\n
So far, while the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the\u00a0EU<\/a>\u00a0and a number of states have condemned what they have described as apparent use of excessive force, these responses have failed to explicitly acknowledge the use of lethal force to kill protesters, despite\u00a0mounting evidence.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe international community\u2019s cautious and muted response to the unlawful killing of protesters is woefully inadequate. They must condemn these killings in the strongest possible terms and describe these events for what they are \u2013 the deadly and wholly unwarranted use of force to crush dissent,\u201d said Philip Luther.<\/p>\n\n